Interview — Punish Fort

Tyler Davidson

Seattle-based rock quintet Punish Fort have been punishing audiences for some time now, combining utterly unique vocals, pounding drums, and songs called "Lumber Jack" and "Pumpkinhead." Their collective efforts have culminated in their self-released debut album, Cripe, All Mighty. . SKRATCH recently conducted an e-mail interview with the guys to find out just how they plan on punishing those who have not heard their brand of rock.

Punish Fort is Noel Philip (vocals), Jason Petty & John Schupp (guitars), Steve Eller (bass) and Jordan Appleton (drums.)

SKRATCH MAGAZINE: What is the significance behind the name of the band?
Punish Fort: Singer Noel S. Philip and manager John “Whip” Titus were disturbed children.



SKRATCH: What would you say are some of the more prevalent lyrical themes of the band's music?
PF: Social indictment, self reflection, bodily functions.



SKRATCH: What is the main reason someone should come to a Punish Fort show?
PF: Good raw energy and an entertaining show. We try hard to push the envelope musically and give each song a unique stylistic stamp. Our catalog of music is written to where no two songs sound alike or follow a common formula. Musically, our influences are quite diverse and it shows in the music. Yet all of our compositions have a cohesive energy and feeling to them, so they can all be identified as Punish Fort compositions. 



SKRATCH: What CD in your collection is the most surprising/embarrassing?
PF: Too many to name. For Noel, it’s a toss up between David Hasselhoff, Hooked On A Feeling, and Eddie Murphy, How Could It Be. His Wham! CD broke last week. 



SKRATCH: Has the Internet been more of a benefit or a detriment to music so far?
PF: Depends on how you look at it. The Internet is a great thing for music as an art form. Now more than ever, it’s easier for various artists to get their music heard, [and] also for the consumer to have access to virtually anything out there. An artist can have complete control over their product without having their art bastardized by record labels, industry “experts,” producers, etc. As with everything else, the Internet age is shrinking the world. That’s a great thing for music, as most people in the U.S. today have limited knowledge about other musical cultures or even their own. Sadly, for many years, the “arts” to many people were really whatever was accessible through modern media; TV, radio, etc. Hopefully, our society and other societies will take advantage of the Web; make themselves better informed and more worldly. Music would become a lot more interesting. 

For music as an industry, it’s a major shake up. The costs to record and promote an album are far less than they were ten years ago. We’re now in the DIY era and the technology is cheap enough now to do so. File sharing could be considered a bad thing or a good thing: bad in the sense that you are losing out on potential revenue, [but] good in the sense that it’s viral marketing/exposure of your band with virtually no effort. “Tape- friendly” artists like the Grateful Dead and Phish allowed viral distribution of their live music for decades. The result was a huge audience of loyal fans and long term success. Money came from merchandise and touring. Fans did a large portion of promotion through word of mouth. It’s so simple yet brilliant. This model seems more viable in the Internet age.



SKRATCH: Where do you see the band in five years?
PF: On stage somewhere. Hopefully not [at] a Microsoft corporate event.



SKRATCH: If you could invite any three dead people over to dinner, who would it be?
PF: Frank Zappa, Hunter S. Thompson and Robert Nesta Marley. Aside from being amazing artists in their respective camps, each was a visionary. All three held to their beliefs and convictions. None were afraid to make their thoughts known or to challenge the status quo, [to] call out a mainstream pundit and tell them they are full of shit on a national stage.



SKRATCH: What would you say is the biggest problem with music today? 


PF: Popular music is too homogeneous. There is little variation from one artist to the next. Today’s country music sounds like today’s R & B. The leaders in mainstream rock have followed a tired formula for decades. Overproduction and lack of artistic vision, at least in the mainstream. Artists on the periphery of the mainstream music scene are doing some exciting things. Sadly, the fluff gets the attention because it’s easier to sell.

SKRATCH: What is the last book you read?
PF: Tangy Bonanza by Doc Solammen.

SKRATCH: How was it?
PF: Epic.



SKRATCH: What are some of Punish Fort's main goals for 2009? PF: 2008 was great but we are anticipating an even better 2009! With the release of "Cripe, All Mighty," our first full length LP, we are hoping to gain more fans and play more shows! The CD is available at our website, www.punishfort.com .

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